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So, It's Noisy but it's a good cause
When Nelly Grampp lost her 10-year-old son Joey to leukemia three years ago, she suffered the worst kind of loss any parent can face.
Some parents never recover from the loss of a child.
Others find a way to cope.
Some, like Grampp, find a way to flourish.
Much of the community here is familiar with Joey's Eagles, a foundation started by Nelly three months after the her son lost his brave battle with cancer.
In the three years since its formation, Joey's Eagles, named after her son's favorite football team, has helped over 40 local families cope with the emotional stress of dealing with a very sick or terminally ill child.
Whether its money for gas to get to the hospital, a meal here and there, paying a late electric bill or providing counseling to grieving parents, Joey's Eagles has come to the aid of people desperately in need of help.
Nelly's extraordinary work has not only honored the memory of her son, but helped people with few options.
That's why Nelly is the focus here today.
This Sunday, Pocono Performance Enthusiasts Car Club will host a race and car show at the Stroudsburg Pocono Airport from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This is the event that was the center of controversy last month when several homeowners who live near the airport complained about the noise generated by the cars participating in the show.
The noise lasts but four hours.
The loss of a child lasts forever.
Just talk to Nelly about the death of her son and all that was important seems trivial.
She'll tell you that Joey was never sick, that he loved the Eagles and Yankees, that he was a big, smart boy who had a penchant for defending other kids in times of trouble.
She'll show you pictures of Joey holding up a fish he caught at a local lake, or smiling the biggest of smiles while holding his two younger brothers in his arms.
She'll tell you about his year long battle, the excruciating pain he suffered in his final weeks, and the strength he showed knowing he was going to die.
She'll tell you there was no reason or expectation that her son would become terminally ill.
And she never asked herself why did it have to happen to my son.
It just happened.
Then you wonder how she was able to pick herself up from such a personal tragedy and start a foundation that's been a Godsend to so many families in the area.
Noise? What noise?
The cars are racing on Sunday and it costs only a buck to watch.
The money goes to Joey's Eagles.
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